Safety switch

ABSTRACT

A safety system for any type of vehicle and which incorporates a means whereby the engine is shut off prior to a collision so to prevent the vehicle from catching fire and exploding, the device also including a four alarm system which at the same time is activated so to warn and notify other persons so that help can be summoned.

United States Patent. 1, 3,681,610 Pratt [45] Aug. 1, 1972 [54] SAFETYSWITCH 2,794,084 5/1957 Segoni ..200/ 152 1-1 X [72] Inventor: Jack "a",12271 Bans Rd. 2,842,630 7/1958 Lucibello ..1-80/104X S.W., Massilon,Ohio 44646 Filed: April 21, 1971 Appl. No. 136,041

US. Cl. ..307/10 R, 180/96, 180/104 Int. Cl. ..H02g 3/00 Field ofSearch.....180/96, 104, 103; 200/152 H; 307/10 R, 10 BP, 10 AT, 9, 116,119

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,192,262 3/ 1940 Griesedieck..180/ 104 X BATTERY Primary Examiner-Herman J. Hohauser [57] ABSTRACT Asafety system for any type of vehicle and which incorporates a meanswhereby the engine is shut off prior to a collision so to prevent thevehicle from catching fire and exploding, the device also including afour alarm system which at the same time is activated so to warn andnotify other persons so that help can be summoned.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures A T MATtC 30 5w.

SAFETY SWITCH This invention relates generally to safety systems.

It is generally well .known that in the case of a collision, a vehicleis subject to catching fire and exploding if the engine has been lefton. This situation is, of course, objectionable and therefore in want ofimprovement.

Accordingly it is the principal purpose of the present invention toprovide a safety system wherein the engine can be shut off prior to acollision impact so to prevent the vehicle from catching fire andexploding.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety systemwhich is adaptable for all types of vehicles such as automobiles,trucks, buses, air planes and the like.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a safetysystem wherein at the same time that the engine is shut off, an alarmsystem can be visually and/or audibly activated so to summon help fromother persons when the. vehicle has crashed.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a safety switchwhich is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged inconstruction, easy to use, and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be, readily evident upon a study of thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an electrical circuit of the present invention, and

FIG. 3 is an electrical diagram showing a modified design of theinvention.

Referring not to the drawing in detail, and more particularly at thistime to FIG. 1 thereof, the safety switch safety system is shown toincorporate a mercury switch 11 within an electrical circuit 12, themercury switch being located between a power supply 13 and an ignition14 of a vehicle.

It will now be evident in case of an impending collision of the vehiclethat the mercury switch 11 can manually or due to the impact force of acrashing collision be thrown into an open position so as to open thecircuit 12 between the power supply and the ignition, thus shutting offthe vehicle engine. Thus the danger of a fire and explosion has beenremoved.

It is to be noted that a warning or alarm system 15 is in a parallelcircuit with the ignition 14 so that at the same time that the ignitionis turned off, the warning or alarm system can be turned on so as tovisually or audibly gain the attention of other persons for obtaininghelp for a person in the vehicle.

In FIG. 2, a refinement of the above described diagram is shown andwherein the circuit includes a diode 16. This may be reset. A line 17keeps the Bcontacts in a closed position until the recess is pushed.Normally the B contacts are closed with no power. A sliding contact bar18 moves from the B contact to the A contacts when the ignition is on.Thus these contacts are closed when the ignition switch is on.

It will now be evident that in a normal operation the conductors l9 and20 between the ignition switch and the ignition coil are used togetherwith the conductors 21 between the ignition switch and mercury switchand the conductor 22 as well as the conductor 23.

In an emergency, the conductors 17, 24 and 25 become activated asdescribed so to shut off the ignition system and turn on the warningsystem.

Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawing, there is shown a modified designof safety switch which is automatically activated without attention fromthe driver so as to shut off the vehicle engine and also automaticallyto turn on the alarm system.

This form of the invention, the alarm system is either of mechanical orpneumatic type so that there is no electricity operating the same; thevehicle thus having no electrical system at work when there is acollision crash.

In this form of the invention, there is provided a forwardly extendingprobe 26 which projects forwardly of the vehicle so that in case of acollision crash this is the first part of the vehicle to come intoengagement with the other object. Such impact causes the probe 26 toslide in the direction as shown by arrow 27 and into the cylinder 28.

This action causes a break of electrical circuit between contacts 29 and30 so to prevent electrical energy from the battery to the ignitionswitch. Thus the vehicle engine is shut off.

As shown in the diagram, a conductor 31 is carried by the piston 32within the cylinder 28 and to which in normal use of the vehicle closesthe circuit between the contact 29 and 30. v

In normal use so to prevent accidental movement of the probe 26 into thecylinder 28, is provided a detent 33 which normally retains the probe inits forward extended position except in case of a violent impact whichwould then permit the probe to slide rearwardly.

Upon its initial travel into the cylinder 28, the piston conductor 31moves momentarily past the contacts 34 and 35 so as to close anelectrical circuit between the battery and a solenoid 36. Thismomentarily causes the solenoid to be activated and thus swing the lever37 as shown by the arrow 38 which thus turns on the mechanical poweredwarning alarm 39 so to produce a visual or audible warning 40.

The rearwardly sliding piston or probe 26 into the cylinder 28 quicklymoves past the contacts 34 and 35 so that immediately thereafter thesolenoid is shut off and all other electrical systems of the vehicle areout when the probe 26 reaches the rear end of the cylinder 28 At thismoment only the mechanically operated warning system is operating andall electrical systems are out. Thus an improved construction has beenobtained and wherein the entire device is automatically operated withoutany attention from the motorist or operator of the vehicle.

Whatl now claim is:

1. In a safety switch system, the combination of a means for shuttingoff the engine of a vehicle so to prevent a fire and explosion in caseof a collision crash, said system including a means between a powersource and an ignition of said engine, said means breaking an electricalcircuit between said power supply and ignition while at the same timeturning on an alarm system, said system incorporating slideable contactplate for selectively engaging either a pair of contacts between anignition switch and an ignition coil or alternately engaging a pair ofcontacts of a warning system said means comprising slideable probeprojecting'forwardly of said vehicle, said probe being rearwardlyslideable cal powered warning alarm, and said probe at its rear end"having a transverse conductor to form a bridge between the contacts ofsaid power supply and ignition or the contacts of said power supply andsolenoid, said bridge at its rearmost position having passed beyond thelast said pair of contacts, into an electrically disengaged location.

1. In a safety switch system, the combination of a means for shuttingoff the engine of a vehicle so to prevent a fire and explosion in caseof a collision crash, said system including a means between a powersource and an ignition of said engine, said means breaking an electricalcircuit between said power supply and ignition while at the same timeturning on an alarm system, said system incorporating slideable contactplate for selectively engaging either a pair of contacts between anignition switch and an ignition coil or alternately engaging a pair ofcontacts of a warning system said means comprising slideable probeprojecting forwardly of said vehicle, said probe being rearwardlyslideable into a cylinder, said probe in its forward position closing acircuit between contacts for closing electrical power between said powersupply and said ignition, said probe in an intermediate slideableposition closing a circuit between a solenoid and said power supply,said solenoid manually operating a lever of a mechanical powered warningalarm, and said probe at its rear end having a transverse conductor toform a bridge between the contacts of said power supply and ignition orthe contacts of said power supply and solenoid, said bridge at itsrearmost position having passed beyond the last said pair of contacts,into an electrically disengaged location.